Tacloban City – Phebe Causing, a forest ranger from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office 8, Enforcement Division, was conducting her usual tasks of patrolling and monitoring illegal loggers in the mountains of Pintuyan, Southern Leyte on April 4, 2019. Unfortunately, she fell into a ravine which resulted to her knee injuries.
Causing filed an Employees’ Compensation claim at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) due to her work-related knee injuries. She received three months disability pension with medical reimbursement amounting to more than ₱29,000.00.
On top of this, Causing was referred by the Employees’ Compensation Commission Regional Extension Unit Eight for free rehabilitation at the Divine Word Hospital in Tacloban City through the Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KaGabay) Program. She received free consultations and first cycle of physical therapy which consisted of 12 sessions under the ECC-KaGabay Program.
In September of 2020, Causing received an ECC livelihood assistance amounting to ₱20, 000.00 to defray the expenses for her chosen enterprise. If she is able to maintain the said livelihood project, she is eligible to avail of an additional complementary livelihood kit amounting to ₱10, 000.00.
ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said, “The Employees’ Compensation Commission aims to provide a comprehensive package of benefits that supports the financial needs of persons with work related disabilities (PWRDs) and ensures the total well-being of our clients and beneficiaries. We have primarily crafted the KaGabay Program to provide rehabilitation services and livelihood assistance to workers who suffered from work-related contingencies in the hope of bringing them back to the economic mainstream.”
The Employees’ Compensation Program is a government program that provides disability benefits, medical benefits, carer’s allowance, rehabilitation services and related benefits in the event of work-connected sickness, injury or death. The said program is being implemented by the Employees’ Compensation Commission thru its administering agencies, the Social Security System for employees in the private sector, and self-employed workers and the GSIS for workers in the government sector, including uniformed personnel from the Phil. National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
M. Basal – REU8